One of the two wives of Elkanah.
She was her husband's favourite, and was in consequence subjected to petty
annoyances by the rival wife. She vowed that if she gave birth to a
man-child, she would devote him to the service of Jehovah. Her wish
was gratified; she became the mother of the prophet Samuel, and carried
out her vow (1 Sam. i. 1-28). Her song of triumph is highly poetic,
and was, perhaps, in the mind of the Virgin Mary when she expressed her
gratitude in similar poetic strains on learning that she was to give birth
to "the Son of god" (ii. 1-10; Luke i. 26-55). (The Sunday
School Teacher's Bible Manual, Hunter, 1894)